


Old and New Habits

by ColonelChanSan



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Gen, for tsukibros week day four
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-30
Updated: 2015-09-30
Packaged: 2018-04-24 02:56:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4902886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ColonelChanSan/pseuds/ColonelChanSan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They both had a lot of habits, old and new, some they have grown out of and some they have yet to. But there were some Akiteru wishes they never break.</p><p>For Tsukishima Brothers Week: Day Four</p>
            </blockquote>





	Old and New Habits

**Author's Note:**

> Heyo, I wrote this for Tsukibros Week and now I'm uploading here I hope you enjoy

Akiteru noticed, that for all Kei has grown in both age and height, there were still some old habits that remained in Kei’s behaviour.

Things like how Kei would lace his hands together in front of him, thumbs twiddling slightly whenever he was shy or nervous, or just idle. How Kei would subtly glance at Akiteru from the corner of his eye whenever he wanted something, and how he’d deny it when Akiteru called him out on it. He once caught Kei helping himself to a midnight snack of the last piece of shortcake, something he often caught Kei doing when he was a kid. There was also the way Kei would pout when things didn’t go his way, and how he always saved the strawberry until last.

The way he still calls Akiteru  _‘Nii-chan.’_

Things like these made Akiteru glad, because they were proof that the little brother he knew from long ago hasn’t been completely lost in the haze of jaded bitterness and distance. His brother was taller now, older and in his teen rebellion phase, but he was still very much the same little kid who Akiteru would often help practice volleyball with in the backyard.

There were also new habits Akiteru had noticed too. Like how Kei tutted more at things that annoyed him, and how he always seems to have a pair of headphones around his neck with music still playing. How he’d always check his phone, regardless if he got a notification or not and how he’d prefer to sleep-in in the mornings if he could.

And there were some he wasn’t sure were new or not, because he can’t quite remember if it was something Kei always did and he was just noticing it now or newly developed while Akiteru had been away. Like the way Kei often stared out the car window, day-dreaming about something or other, or how he’d lean against posts on the street when waiting for the lights to change so he can cross. Those just seemed like something Kei would have done even back then and yet Akiteru can’t really remember if he ever did.

Akiteru himself had developed some new habits since living alone too. Singing and dancing while cooking was something Akiteru couldn’t help but do now, and leaving the TV remote on the couch instead of the coffee table. There were also some bad ones formed by living the single bachelor life, which included forgetting to put on a shirt, leaving jeans on the floor and forgetting to lock the toilet or bathroom door, since he never felt the need to when there’s only himself living in a small apartment. Kei often chided him for all these things and Akiteru would apologize every time but when next time came around, he’d do it again without thinking.

Habits sure are hard to break.

Akiteru reiterates this thought whenever he reaches into his pocket and feels small pieces of candy. He always used to carry sweets around to give to Kei for whenever they were out and he was hungry or bored and restless. Or to garner his favour. But now that he didn’t live with Kei anymore and Kei was all grown up, there was no need for it. But Akiteru still finds himself shoving candy in his pockets or his bag before he leaves home, despite having no one to give them to. He just ends up eating them himself. 

He wonders if Kei would appreciate it if he were to pull out a candy from his pocket and give it to him or if he’d give Akiteru a sour look as if to say  _‘I’m not a little kid anymore.’_

There was also the old habit of ruffling Kei’s hair whenever he was playful or was proud of him, and keeping up their usual brotherly banter where Akiteru teases and Kei retorts, but always ended with Akiteru’s victory one way or another.

And there was one old habit he didn’t even notice he still kept up until one night when he was staying over his parents’. Back then, Akiteru would always leave space on his bed for Kei in case his little brother would sneak in and curl next to him which he would often do. Sometimes because he had a bad dream, sometimes because he was feeling lonely. Akiteru didn’t realize he was doing this still until he felt the mattress dip, a sudden warmth appeared beside him. It took him a moment to figure out it was Kei and, despite his little brother being much taller and bigger now than when he was 8, he still managed to fit onto the bed without Akiteru having to move an inch.

“Bad dream,” he heard Kei mutter. Akiteru gave a grunt in reply, much too tired to give a proper response, but not tired enough to not feel the happiness fill his heart at the fact that Kei still turned to him if he had a bad dream.

They lay back-to-back, different from when they were younger, where they would cuddle instead. Back then they didn’t even have to think about it, it was just the natural response of their bodies. However, now that they were older, that Kei was a teenager and Akiteru an adult, Akiteru had to consciously keep himself from turning over and wrapping his arm around his (not so) baby brother, even if he so badly wanted to. To give him comfort in the most affectionate way possible. He wondered if Kei was feeling the same, if he was making the same amount of effort to not turn around and curl into Akiteru like he used to as a kid.

Habits are hard to break, but if you focus enough you can stop yourself from resorting to them just this once.

Besides, their backs touching was comfort enough, Akiteru thought, their body heat warming the other through that alone. It was enough, Akiteru thought, that his little brother still kept up the habit of seeking comfort in his bed despite the years of cold distance and the fact that he wasn’t little anymore.

Yeah. It was fine like this. It was impossible to go back to how they used to be  _completely,_ but this was enough.

That still didn’t stop Akiteru from subconsciously turning around in his sleep and wrapping Kei in his arms, though. When he woke up and realized, he almost jumped away, ready to apologize until he noticed Kei was still asleep and, just like he used to do as a kid, was curled into Akiteru, long fingers clinging to his shirt.

Akiteru smiled to himself as he played with Kei’s hair.

They both had a lot of habits, old and new, some they have grown out of and some they have yet to.

But these were the habits he hopes they never break, the ones that maintained their brotherhood.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
